Glen Moray

On Saturday, when I stopped at White House to pick up an extra ticket for the upcoming Aberlour tasting, I told Ben I needed an everyday malt, having run out of the usual tens and twelves that I reach for, when it’s not a special occasion, when all I need is a decent glass of whisky. He recommended Glen Moray, which was moderately priced, very moderately priced, at only $26.

I had been introduced to Glen Moray a couple years ago, at a Glenmorangie tasting. Glen Moray was a bit of a throw-in – an additional malt to round out the variety of tastes for the evening. I recall the Glenmorangie guy telling us that Glen Moray is distilled in these old onion-shaped stills, short and stout. By way of contrast, Glenmorangie is made in stills which have these long necks, and which prevent impurities from getting out of the still and into the malt. The upshot is that Glenmorangie has a taste that is very light and clean, probably the purest and lightest malt. But Glen Moray, with its short fat stills, doesn’t aim to get rid of its impurities; rather it allows these impurities, mostly oils, to give the whisky a richer texture.

And that’s really the defining characteristic of Glen Moray, its texture. The taste is OK, but nothing really special. And it’s a 12 year old, flavorful enough, but not terribly complex. Jackson isn’t terribly impressed with any of the Glen Moray offerings; nothing scores above an 80. But curiously, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible is very taken with the Glen Moray 12, noting the “perfect harmony between sweet malt and drier malt”. Murray gives it a 91. But neither of them, in my opinion, makes note of the defining characteristic of this otherwise unremarkable Speyside malt – its rich buttery texture. I know that Danny appreciates a whisky with this rich feel on the palate – I can think of Johnny Blue and Bunnahabhain 18. But that rich texture is available here for a small fraction of the price of these more exclusive malts.

So there you have it, a rich velvety whisky for the same price as blended scotch. I think it needs to become a staple in the cabinet.